Where do we go from here?

The world seems to be moving faster than ever. Already nearly a decade into the new century our leaders seem either oblivious or willfully neglectful towards the need to address the realities of global warming and climate change.

With stymied and unproductive summits at Copenhagen (2009) and Cancun (2010), the peaks of climate change action remain seemingly insurmountable over a decade after the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol (1997). With no binding agreements and a continued recalcitrance by the overdeveloped countries - offering little else besides more of the same - the shadows of the valley grow ever darker.

Systemic change is necessary, the illusion here is that change needs to happen from the top down.  For meaningful and lasting changes to happen they must come from the bottom up and reflect the will and desires of those represented.

Yet, even as it seems frustrating that among the only places we lowly citizens can seemingly exercise our voices is in the realm of commodities consumption, it does make a difference. We can also find positive signs of progress being made at the local level. Here in California we managed to keep AB32 on the books last election cycle (although it has been arguably poisoned by the passage of Proposition 26 requiring a supermajority to enact fees on companies that pollute). Additionally California is acting with six other western states and four Canadian provinces through the Western Climate Initiative(WCI) to create a regional Cap-and-Trade initiative and working towards a 1/3 Renewable Energy Standard by the year 2020.  Hopefully California will continue to be both a leader and an inspiration for others to follow.

We must meanwhile continue to begin addressing the frailties and failures that have brought us to this moment. Racing to the bottom in sourcing wage labor and extracting natural resources and the socialization of costs and losses among others are not sustainable practices. Can we learn to see where we are? Can we afford not to envision where we would like to go from here? In addition to claiming responsibility for the processes that have brought us to far we must cultivate an ability to respond meaningfully to the fruits that our histories have born.

Of course this is only a start. Besides the needs for filibuster and campaign finance reforms, the economic situation continues to stagnate making it hard for individuals to choose to take the risks inherent to acts of innovation. What other obstacles continue to hamper innovative growth and change? What spaces exist where innovation is needed? Where is it already thriving? How can we help it and what changes might we create to make innovative thoughts and acts the new normal rather than the exception?

As we continue to open spaces for constructive dialogues, growth and learning within and between
communities of young professionals and industry innovators, all of us at InnovatingSMART welcome your participation and thank you for your continued interest and support!